Basic Skills Forum

This page archives comments made about student success.

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Merry Draffan:

Although the Santa Ana campus is a friendly place and easy to navigate, it may seem overwhelming and downright scary to a student who has only been to our smaller centers. To get students to enroll in occupational programs on the SAC campus, I believe it is necessary to take a field trip as a group and give them an orientation of the campus and visit some of the classes. The college does this for high school students each year, as well as for kindergarteners and other elementary grade schoolers! Once they are there and know where to register, etc. they will be comfortable coming back.

Malena Copeland:

You are right. In fact, I think it would be nice for all of the faculty on the Continuing Ed. side to get tours of SAC as well as SCC as well. I think it would be nice if every spring, we could get maps or a short video to show in class. This we could talk about it with our students and help them to make the transition with enthusiasm and encouragement.

That gives me the idea of having someone on this project do short narrated video clips of the campus that we could post on this blog. What do you think?

Michael Ha:

A campus visit is a wonderful opportunity for students. Last week I met an ESL teacher at SAHS who really wanted to take her students to CEC and MEC campus. She believes that ESL students (Beginning I & II) should visit CEC and MEC because many students have never been to an educational campus. Additionally, some of these students have never used computers or have access to internets. Students may learn more by visiting and talking to current students at CEC and MEC. Campus visit can not only help them see learn new lessons but also motivate them to be successful as advanced students.

Judith Holmes:

Students need to be encouraged to think in terms of flexibility in the future and that they will very likely have to take courses or train for several different jobs during their lifetime. With this being said, continuing on a path that can lead to at least entering and finishing their community college education should offer students greater flexibilty and more options for jobs.

Time management guidance is a key to trying to “do it all”. Many students do an amazing job of squeezing in what they can to work, maintain a family, and continue their education.

Vincent Nunez:

I agree, Denise, that we should look for new ways to help noncredit students navigate what is offered at SAC. I know Henry Kim’s leadership students make their way over there. I wonder if we could invite some SAC voc ed instructors to pay a visit to CEC?

Denise Dowling:

I think many if not most of our students don’t know about the vocational programs that exist at SAC. And even if they are aware, it can be an intimidating thing to enter the college campus on one’s own. We have made some efforts to help students in this area, but I think we could do a lot more to publicize what vocational programs are offered, what requirements there are, and what the cost is, etc. What we could and should do is easier said than done, but I do know a lot more hand holding and encouragement is needed to see our students continue their education academically or vocationally. I don’t think I would have entered the college doors without someone who believed in me and to help lead the way.

Vincent Nunez:

Thanks for introducing On Course to this blog, Claudia!

I also went to the On Course workshop. It was great. Here, by the way, is the link to the On Course home page on the web — http://oncourseworkshop.com/ Also, if anyone is interested in continuing the discussion of On Course for our local non-credit and credit programs, I’ve set up a dedicated wiki at http://saconcourse.hyperenglish.net/ If you have an @sac.edu email you can join, without having to create a username or password. Just look in the lower left corner for the blue link that says “Send yourself an invitation” and click.

If I may, here is a shortened excerpt from a comment I posted a week ago (at http://basicskills.edublogs.org/about-us/basic-skills/#comment-55 ): How can we ensure that our basic skills curriculum is consistent with [Effective Practice D.3] which advocates for the student’s “whole life” development? … Would anyone else be interested, I wonder, in maybe a series of goal-awareness and goal-maintenance worksheets?

I’ll look forward to hearing how that role/goal sheet is working for your students!

Claudia Lamb:

Hi,
Claudia Lamb here again. I went to a workshop called On Course. It was all about student retention in the classroom, and students ability to go from ESL to the college, or vocational classes, or help their children succeed.
There was an emphasis on goal setting, and self-esteem. There was also an emphasis on student interraction rather than teacher lecturing. I am implementing some of the ideas in my class.
I have a role, goal sheet. First the students establish 5 roles. They are students, parents, friends,etc. Then they state their goals for that role. They want to go to college, see their children succeed, help their friends through crisis, etc. Then they write at least four ways they will accomplish their goals. From this paper we make a 32 day committment to one of the items we want to do. It is very exciting.
More to follow.
Claudia

Carlos Perez:

This is a great idea. Adult students really like to know why they are learning. Having a clear goal and purpose helps to guide their daily efforts. Especially, when they see and hear a role model that they can relate to makes a huge difference in motivating them to keep working hard and smart. Compared to K-12 students, adult students come to our classrooms with a wealth of knowledge and experiences. When they feel that they are welcomed at the table and their knowledge, experiences, needs, and concerns are valued they are more likely to persevere in our academic programs. Having a guest speaker who started like most of our adult students and then went on to earn a master’s degree is a fascinating, motivating drive. They may also see themselves achieving their academic, personal, and professional goals. This is the beauty of adult education that our students get a second, third, and more chances to realize goals that perhaps they or others thought would not be possible. Especially, since the majority of our students, which are ESL students, have not transitioned through the traditional track of K-12 in the United States. Therefore, establishing and sustaining goals is both essential and beneficial.

Erik Gasner:

Students need to see where they’re headed and if it’s possible. I had a guest speaker last week who shared his experiences of his education struggles and how obtained a Master’s and became a business owner with my class. Since then i had a couple of students decide to pursue the ABE program. I tried my best to motivate and convince these people to do it. They saw someone who was in the “same boat” as them and got new hope. They saw a role model and got that extra push to do it.

Tim Vo:

I agree with Erik in that students have to have that deep desire to learn and to succeed. So many factors affecting them are outside of the classroom and beyond the teacher’s control. That being said, the teacher can greatly influence the students as a model of success and a guiding force to gear them in the direction.

Erik Gasner:

Tim: I think I’m a model and I try to show them that there are great opportunities here and I hope to remove all obstacles to their educational success. I act as a salesman and when they say I can’t I say you can and SELL them on continuing.

Denise: I agree we cannot think of our students nor our students in a cookie cutter way. While there can’t be lesson plans designed for each individual, we can include variety in our lessons to meet more ways of understanding and learning.

Anonymous: Is it fair (PC) to help students in their native language (such as Spanish) but not help other students who peak other languages (such as Vietnamese)? I like to help my students when I can with a little explanation in Spanish, but I don’t have ability to help students that speak another language.

Erik Gasner:
I believe in full immersion. I dont try to help in their native language. most students like that best. some teachers speak so much spanish that they dont get anything out of the class. They need t ohear teacher talk and get accustomed to the speech

Erik Gasner:
I believe this quote holds great meaning “Students in classes where teachers made connections to the real world had more growth in reading basic skills development.” I do my best to follow this model. We have to connect it to their situations and desires in order for it to be beneficial.

Rebecca Tamondong:
That the 4 instructional practices do work is something we already know based on our teaching experience with adult students. Am glad to learn that a study exists validating this. I fully subscribe to all the findings stated above, including using the student’s native language for clarification. The key word is “clarification”. After you’ve explained the topic in English in every way you can (using repetition/redundancy, Q & A, TPR, visual aids/realia, etc.) and there are still some questions/doubts as to whether the students “got it”, the native language translation is the clincher. Also, abstract concepts seem to be best or quickly understood when translated in the student’s native language. For this reason, I strongly encourage my students to have a bilingual dictionary on hand. My Vietnamese students find the use of a Vietnamese/English English/Vietnamese dictionary particularly helpful.

Sharon Chidester:
I want to answer those questions, Julia. They are: What worked for you when you were a student? How did you learn? What made you persevere? What helped you fulfill your academic goals?
What worked for me was my teachers were available to me for questions when I got stuck, and they genuinely cared that their students learned. I learned by listening, taking notes, and hands-on. I persevered because when I came to difficult times, I looked for alternate ways to stay on task, and asked friends and instructors for help with those alternate ways or for ideas of how to persevere. The biggest thing that helped me fulfill my academic goals was that my teachers believed I could, even at times when I doubted myself.
I believe as a teacher, that I have the duty and responsibility to my students to care that they succeed, be available to them for questions, and show them that I believe in them. Most student success depends on us as teachers giving them the support they need.

Malena Copeland:
My students love to feel successful at reading. If I read something aloud to the group, give them time to practice in groups and then independently, they improve their decoding skills, comprehension and pronunciation. Moreover, they build confidence so they are not ashamed to read aloud to the entire group. I try to always maintain a warm, safe environment with my students and emphasize that there are many levels in my class. I ask my students to be patient and supportive to one another. I find that even very low-level students want to participate when they feel safe. If they are given material that they can read successfully, their confidence soars. This of course, leads to more risk taking, and even more success.
Finding appropriate reading materials for adults can be challenging. Adults do not want to feel that they are being patronized, yet many beginning readers are created for children. What materials have you found for adults at a very low reading level?

Denise Dowling:
Teachers making the effort to encourage me personally inspired me to persevere. Succeeding is contagious, or rather, it should be. Feeling accomplished in one step toward a goal, lead me to move on to the next step. And if I did not succeed in a course, being told what I did well, and what I needed to work at challenged me to keep trying.
As instructors, discovering what our strudents’ goals are will give us a window in how to encourage them toward success. “Passing this class” is just one step closer to a destination. Too often, students don’t have a clear goal so they have no “plan” in mind. A plan helps students examine the journey to take before reaching a destination. Let’s help our students understand and take the route toward success by taking an interest in students goals’ or helping them create goals, offering clear directions and giving personal encouragement. Think back to that teacher that stood out in your life as a person that helped you believe in yourself- those experiences are good tips for us.

Frank:
Reflecting back to when I was a student, I think the techniques that helped me succeed were attending study skills-note taking and time management workshop, and taking a study skills class. It is very important for students to know how to study and how to effectively use their time. Another important item that students need to identify is their learning styles. Once I was able to identify my learning style it was easier for me to create flow charts and study to do well on my tests.

Erik gasner:
What worked for you when you were a student? How did you learn? What made you persevere? What helped you fulfill your academic goals?
As an athlete i had to get good grades in order to keep my athletic scholarship. That was a BIG motivation. I spent most of my day on the university grounds in classes and on the field. Many of the baseball players were in the same classes and studied together. We discussed the assignments and exams and this helped me since we were a group working together to complete the classes instead of a single student feeling like you are on your own.
Can our student’s be in some sort of study group? Can they meet together for 15 minutes after class? Will this be possible with their work schedules?

Maribel:
Personally, what I think worked for me as a student was to have mentors, be persistence in completing my academic goal regardless of the presented obstacles. Also I always looked for available resources that would provide assistance for academic and personal matters. In regards to my learning style, I believe was important to provide visual tools for my academic success. I also participated in student organizations and leadership programs. Therefore, as part of the basic skills initiative it is important to incorporate learning styles, counseling, peer mentoring, and list of campus resources and leadership opportunities.

Carol SanRoman-Skaggs:
I was a perpetual add/drop student at Santa Ana College. All of us were expected to leave from our local high school and then go to the college or work full-time. Those of us who couldn’t afford to go away to college, would go to what we lovingly called UCSB (the University of Seventeenth and Bristol. I learned best in small classes. I hated the big POLI SCI classes with hundreds. I never felt accountable. Eventually after being there and not getting enough credits, I would like to believe that I started to grow up and get serious. I started to classes at SAC that seemed to connect with me. One class/ one teacher made the difference. I took a counseling class about relationshipsI think it was Marriage and the Family. I loved it and found my passion. I also found child development classes and loved that and education classes. Pulling it together, I graduated from SAC went to Chapman and went into Social Work. Missing education the field and for myself classes to continue to grow, then studied at USC and Chapman. Found passion again in Ed Psych and Counseling at a higher educational level.

Maribel:
Malena, it is very interesting that there are vocational programs for non-native English speakers. This is the website for the Breaking Through: Helping Low-Skilled Adults Enter and Succeed in College and Careers program?http://www.breakingthroughcc.org
Here is a model vocational program’s website from Portland Community College specifically for ESL students?http://www.pcc.edu/career/pathways/vocational-esl

michele volz:
I like to use the questions we’ve been practising in the chapter.(I’m using Side by Side right now).?I have a smart board in my class, so I write my personal response on the board and we read that. Then, using that as an example, the students write their own. We also sometimes write our responses, and questions, to another class-a level up or the same level. They respond, which makes it fun!

Michael Ha:
After carefully reflecting on my academic experience, I believe there are three major techniques which are time control, classroom note-takings, and textbook study.?First of all, time-control is very important for me. In order to use time effectively, I had a large calendar which had a large white block around each daily and weekly schedule. I marked and followed up carefully all the important dates on this calendar. For instance, on May 10, I will have a final for my ESL class. The third test of Math is on April 20. I also scheduled weekly study plans on the calendar. All seven days of the week should be covered in my weekly schedule. All the fixed hours of each day: such as hours for meals, work study, classes, homework, exercise time, time for relaxation, etc. Depend on the demands of the courses I am taking, I blocked off five to seven or more hours of study time a week for a challenging class. On the schedule, I tried to accomplish all important tasks according to the fixed hours on my daily schedule. I also crossed out all things which were finished. This helped me remember what I needed to do next.?Secondly, classroom note-taking is an important factor because it helped me to get all key points of the lesson. I also used abbreviation efficiently and looked out for signals which the instructors made in to the lectures. With my notes, I used my own abbreviation which helped me to read them much easier than my classmate’s notes. I believe that the more efficient my classroom note-taking is applied, the more successful my study is improved.?Finally, the textbook material is hard to understand for me. I tried to preview the chapter before going to classroom. When previewing a chapter, I focused on what material is covered on the chapter. While previewing chapter, I tried to find and mark the main ideas. Most of the main ideas are written in definitions and examples, enumeration, and emphasis words. I liked to write down the main ideas in a simple outline. The simple outline helped me to understand the lecture faster.

Judith Holmes:
In creating a comfortable learning environment, I have learned to be flexible with student seating. In my classroom there are rolling chairs, tables, and classroom desks. Students use all of them to match their sizes, shapes, and medical conditions. Sometimes the seating is linear; sometimes it is in groups. I also have students write answers and sentences on the board, assist each other, correct each other (and me), borrow books and pencils from me, and even plan some activities. I have Beginning 1 ESL students.

ESL Teacher:
Good question, anonymous. I think that we just have to do the best that we can. Surely, we shouldn’t leave anyone out, but we can help those that we can by sometimes clarifying in the native language. As long as we are just echoing or repeating something we just said in English, it should not be a problem. Sometimes, I get a Japanese or Chinese student, and I know a few expressions, so I speak a little Chinese or Japanese whenever possible. This makes my students feel comfortable, because when they see how bad my Chinese is, it dispells all their fears of speaking English